Opinion by Luca Filigenzi, Staff Writer

The lightbulb, the airplane, the Hot Cheeto. All inventions that have single handedly advanced the lifestyle of humankind. However, while these are all deserving of Nobel prizes, there is a certain creation that has gone unappreciated since its inception — even though hundreds of them populate our very university and other universities worldwide. 

The swivel chair is one of the foremost innovations in the field of convenience since the portable pencil sharpener. First, a little history: The first iterations of the swivel chair were created in Nuremberg, Germany in the early 16th century. However, that design was far more focused on vertical change than moving around while still seated. 

A little time later across the pond, America’s very own mac and cheese enthusiast Thomas Jefferson improved the design of swivel chair, styling it to its modern, beautiful and movable version by adding the wheels and the 360 degree mobility, while still keeping the pump that controlled how far from the ground you sat. In fact, it’s said that the Declaration of Independence was written by Jefferson as he sat in a swivel chair. So, in a roundabout way, we have the swivel chair to thank for the founding of the United States of America. 

Over time, the swivel chair would be honed and improved upon, not unlike the telephone or car. There would be additions in the forms of adjustable armrests, a bendable back and even the popular gaming chair subcategory that many students in particular use today. 

For it is in the modern age where the swivel chair remains extremely relevant. “I think they’re cool… I like to spin around in circles, who doesn’t? How can you not like spinny chairs?” first-year Philosophy, Politics and the Public major Drew Sikes said. 

Amazing. Honestly, what is there to prefer in a regular chair that a swivel chair wouldn’t accommodate? They are built for optimal movement and no matter where the person is in the room, you can look them right in the eyes. But it doesn’t stop there, and neither do the chairs.

By having wheels, they can move anywhere — as long as that place doesn’t have any stairs on the way. Really though, you can travel down the hallway, across the classroom and even across campus if you’re daring enough. 

However, what may be perfect to some could be interpreted as flawed to others. “They (swivel chairs) are great because they allow free movement around the room…They can also be an issue should people get distracted spinning in chairs,” first-year and swivel chair-doubter Daniel Irvine said.  

A fair take I will say, although after the positive and mixed comes the negative views of swivel chairs. “I hate swivel chairs. They have caused me to hurt my back and are very annoying when people keep spinning,” first-year and swivel chair-haterStephen Klayer said.

Though these hazards and opinions are obviously valid, I will tie back to the beginning comparison. Lightbulbs can shock people, airplanes can crash and Hot Cheetos can turn everything you touch into an orange, spicy mess. But they are still absolutely advancements. Nothing is perfect, and perhaps it is that small sense of danger that the swivel chair represents that makes it so alluring to any student. I do not believe that if you surveyed people’s favorite inventions, the swivel chair would even crack the top 50. However, swivel chairs are an undersung invention whose differences in lives may be relatively small, but can make a difference in any setting.